Stocking



gan. 1o, 1956 1 nou., JR

STOCKING Filed June 10, 1954 nga United States Patent O STOCKING LudwigDoll, Jr., Heidelsheim-Bruchsal, Germany Application .lune 10, 1954,Serial No. 435,861

Claims priority, application Germany June 17, 1953 5 Claims. (Cl. 2-239)This invention relates to stockings, in particular to ladies stockingsmanufactured of polyamide silk fabric (nylon, Perlon, and similarfabrics).

When putting on ladies nylons of the customary construction, specialcare must be taken to have the seam running in a straight line, since acrooked or zig-zagshaped seam of the stocking creates an unbecoming,slovenly appearance. In addition, the customary stockings have thedrawback that the position of the seam may change. Such shifting of theseam frequently occurs. It may be caused by the individual stockings ofa pair being interchanged. After having been worn for some length oftime, the stocking will adjust itself to the shape of the leg, thuscreating, when the two stockings are interchanged some tension, thoughit may be only small, in the texture, especially in the region of thecalves, and causing a shifting of the seam of the stockings.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a stocking havingmeans by which it is possible to straighten out the seam of the stockingwhile the latter is being put on, and which will hold the seam inposition while the stocking is worn.

In accordance with this invention, the stocking is characterized in thata preferably knit-in thread guide runs from the toes of the foot to thehem at the top of the stocking and that the thread used forstraightening out the stocking consists of a yarn having a smooth or asmoothed surface or of a filament or wire as discharged from thespinning nozzle, preferably of the same material as the stocking. Thisstraightening thread is fastened with one end at the toe-tip of thestocking, the other end being fastened at the upper end of the threadguide of the stocking in such a manner that with the stocking pulled upand clamped to the garter (girdle) the straightening thread is under asomewhat greater stress than the stocking proper.

The expression: smooth yarn is meant to indicate the type of yarn forwhich the endless threads coming from the spinning nozzle are used. Theexpression: smoothed yarn indicates yarn which is subsequently coatedwith a lacquer or a similar material so as to imbed the filament endsand thus prevent that after several washings the yarn becomes coarse,thereby impairing the stocking seam. Instead of such a smooth orsmoothed yarn, an ordinary spinning thread or wire of somewhat greaterthickness may be used as the straightening thread. The customary yarns,such as linen, silk, polyamide silk, twine threads and cords or similarmaterials are not suited for the purpose because, after the stocking hasbeen Washed several times such yarns loosen or disintegrate so that theybecome ragged and rough, and when stretched, meaning, on straighteningand in wearing, would damage the stocking seam.

In order to releasably fasten the thread at the upper end of the threadguide, a fastening device may be pro- ICC vided at the upper hem of thestocking in alignment with the thread guide, which can be eitherconstructed so as to be removable, or this device can be sewn to thestocking. With preference, this fastening device may consist of aself-locking clamping device, which is easily releasable and locksitself automatically by means of a tensile stress in the aforesaidthread.

When putting on such a stocking, it will be iirst rolled back in theknown fashion, then pulled over the foot, then smoothed over the leg,and thereafter, the upper hem of the stocking is grasped together withthe fastening device of the straightening thread and the seam of thestocking at the back of the leg is straightened out. Thereafter, thestocking is fastened to the girdle or the like in the customary manner.By pulling the straightening thread with the aid of a thickening or sealwhich is provided at its end, this thread may then be put under thelight stress necessary for the desired straightening effect in wearing.

Consequently, the main advantage of a stocking in accordance with thisinvention resides in the fact that with the stocking pulled up, theguiding thread is constantly subject to a light tension, and this isaided by the fact that every thread is inherently somewhat elastic. Thestretched thread will now always keep the stocking seam and hence alsothe stocking in a straight line.

It is also important that the thread be fastened to the toe-tip of thestocking, because this is the only place where it may be fastenedproperly. The thread guide may either consist of a stocking seam in theform of a tubing, or preferably, it may be a guide which has been woveninto the stocking subsequently. Also, this thread guide may be producedin that a zig-zag seam is provided by means of a wide-gauge stitch, thestraightening thread gliding below the stitches which are exposed on oneside of the stocking, these stitches thus forming the thread guide.

Ordinarily, the straightening threads will be selected in a shade ofcolor corresponding with the color of the stocking. However, owing totrends in fashion, it may be desirable to have the straightening threadmanufactured in another shade of color, or even in another color thanthe stocking, so as to t it with the color of the shoes or the clothing.

In order to prevent the slipping through of the end of the threadthrough the fastening device, this end will be appropriately providedwith a small thickening that may be produced, in a known fashion, bywelding, or gluing thereto a small seal of plastic material. ri`his sealmay be also fashioned as an ornamental seal, e. g., in the form of asheet metal stamp with an inlaid plastic plate, tortoise shell, orsimilar substance. For instance, it is possible to put the initials ofthe wearer of the stockings on this ornamental seal. Also, the seals ofthe two stockings of a pair may be made in different colors, and/orprovided with the letters L and R, respectively, so that the stockingfor the right leg can be easily distinguished from the stocking to beworn on the left leg. This differentiation of the stockings will havethe advantage that it can be made sure that the respective stockingswill be always worn on the same leg, and that thereby the aforesaidtensions, which tend to shift the stocking seam when its wearer iswalking or sitting down, will be avoided. The color of the seal may bealso used to designate the quality of the stockings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. l shows the back of the stocking in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the fastening device pursuant to the invention, withthe lid taken off.

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross-section on line III-lII of Fig. 2, on anenlarged scale.

In stocking 1, a straightening thread 5 runs from the toe-tip within awoven-in stocking seam 4 to hem 3 of the stocking, in the thread being aiilarnent of the same material as the stocking, e. g. of polyamide silk(nylon or Perlon). The lower end of the straightening thread is fastenedto the toe-tip in some known fashion. At the upper end of this thread aseal or a thickening 6 is provided. After leaving the stocking searn,the thread passes through a fastening device provided at the hem of thestocking and generally designated by reference numeral 7.

This fastening device 7 is illustrated more specifically in Figs. 2 and3. The fastening device 7 is surrounded by two halves 8 and 9 of ajacket which overlap each other. In each half of this jacket or shellare pressed, opposite each other, two openings 11i, provided forattaching the fastening device, thus forming inwardly projecting edges11 serving to guide two clamping jaws 12 and 13. The clamping jaws 12and 13 are provided on the edges that face each other, with teeth 1-iand15. These teeth 14 and 15, as Fig. 3 shows, are provided withsemispherical notches 16 and 17, respectively, through which passes thefilament. The remote edges 18 and 1%, respectively, of the clamping jaws12 and 13 extend at a lip angle to the edges facing each other. The faceof the thus provided wedge cooperates with the already mentioned edges11. The two clamping jaws 12 and 13 are provided with lugs 29 and 21,projecting through an opening in the rims of the two halves 8 and 9 ofthe shell, and at the same time, this opening also serves to guide theclamping jaws. To make sure that the two clamping jaws always remain inthe proper position opposite each other, clamping jaw 13 is providedwith a rectangular projection 22, tting into a corresponding rectangularnotch 23 of clamping jaw 12. The rectangular projection 22 is slit. Thepart of the straightening thread 5 projecting from the thread guide lieswithin the fastening device between the two clamping jaws 12 and 13 inthe notches 16 and 17 and in the slot of projection 22. A U-shaped bentspring 25, as seen in Fig. 2, presses the clamping jaws down, whilesimultaneously the latter are pressed against each other by the twowedge-shaped parallel edges 18 and 19, thereby clamping thestraightening thread between each other. This clamping effect isincreased by the downwardly directed tensile stress exerted by thestraightening thread, while the stocking is worn.

When the stocking is put on, it is first pulled up over 4 the leg; then,the hem of the stocking is held together with the fastening device andthe straightening thread, and the stocking seam at the back of the legis straightened out. Thereafter, the stocking is fastened in thecustomary manner on the garter, girdle or similar apparel. By pulling upthe straightening thread with the aid of the seal or the thickening 6,it can then be put under light tension as required for proper wearing ofthe stocking. In the event that the straightening thread should prove tobe in the beginning too short, or to be somewhat too tightly stretched,a light pressing in of one of the lugs 20 or 21 projecting from theclamping jaws 12 or 13 of the fastening device will release the clampingeffect. As soon as the pressure which is exerted unto lug 20 or 21 isremoved, the straightening thread will again be automatically locked inthe clamping jaws. What l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patentl. A stocking, particularly a ladys nylon stocking, having a threadguide running from the tip of the toe of said stocking to the upper hemthereof along the back of the stocking, a thread fastening .device atsaid upper hem and a thread within said guide, one end of said threadbeing attached to the toe of said stocking and the other end of saidthread being held by the fastening device under a tension which isgreater than the tension of the stocking when pulled over the leg of thewearer and fastened to supporting garters.

2. A stocking as set forth in claim l, in which the thread fasteningdevice is detachably secured to the stocking.

3. A stocking as set forth in claim l, in which the fastening device isin alignment with the seam of the stocking.

4. A stocking as set forth in claim 1, in which said fastening devicecomprises an automatically locking clamping device actuated by thetension on said thread.

5. A stocking as set forth in claim 1, in which the end of said threadheld by said fastening device is provided with an enlarged ornamentaltip to prevent its removal from said fastening device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,555,873 Parker Oct. 6, 1925 1,724,417 Reeves Aug. 13, 1929 2,570,987Rose Oct. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 384,118 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1932

